He declared that no work of art could really be 'living' or
capable of moving us to admiration as did the masterpieces of the
Middle Ages unless the maker had thought out and designed it himself.
It was largely owing to his teachings that the 'Arts and Crafts'
movement under William Morris and Walter Crane arose--a movement
which has since that time spread over the whole civilized world.
In 1862, together with some of his friends, Morris formed a company
to encourage the use of beautiful furniture and to introduce 'Art
in the House.' Morris himself had learnt to be a practical
carpet-weaver and dyer, and had founded the Society for the
Protection of Ancient Buildings.
All the work of this firm was done by hand as far as possible; only
the best materials were to be used and designs were to be original.
They manufactured stained glass, wall paper, tapestry, tiles,
embroidery, carpets, etc., and many of the designs were undertaken
by Edward Burne-Jones.
Dante Gabriel Rossetti, the poet-painter, Holman Hunt (best
remembered by his famous picture "The Light of the World ") and others,
formed what was known as the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood, to instruct
public taste in creative work in art and literature. At the Kelmscott
Press some of the most beautiful printed books of their kind were
produced under the direction of Morris.
Ruskin, like so many others of his time, was greatly influenced by
Carlyle, and his views on the 'condition of England' question were
practically the same.
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